vates

Latin > English (Lewis & Short)

vātes: (vātis, Cic. Div. 2, 5, 12 Christ.), is (
I gen. plur. vatium, id. Leg. 2, 8, 20 al.), comm. perh. kindr. with Sanscr. vad, dicere, loqui; cf.: vas, vadis, and old Irish, fáith, a foreteller, seer, soothsayer, prophet.
I Lit.: bonus vates poteras esse: nam quae sunt futura dicis, Plaut. Mil. 3, 3, 37: falsus utinam vates sim, Liv. 21, 10, 10; 4, 46, 5; 36, 15, 2; Enn. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 58, 132 (Trag. v. 356 Vahl.); Lucr. 1, 102; Cic. Leg. 2, 8, 20; id. N. D. 1, 20, 55; Liv. 25, 1, 8; 39, 8, 3; 39, 16, 8; Sall. H. 1, 48, 3 Dietsch; Verg. G. 3, 491; 4, 387; 4, 392; id. A. 3, 246; 5, 524; Hor. S. 2, 5, 6 al. —Fem.: tuque, o sanctissima vates, Praescia venturi, Verg. A. 6, 65: vatis sub tecta Sibyllae, id. ib. 6, 211; 3, 187; 6, 636; Sen. Troad. 37.—
II Transf.
   A A poet; a poetess (the oldest name for a poet; but it fell into contempt, and was discarded for poëta, until restored to honor by Vergil; v. Munro ad Lucr. 1, 102; Müll. de re Metr. p. 65 sq.): versibu' quos olim Fauni vatesque canebant, Enn. ap. Cic. Brut. 19, 76 (Ann. v. 222 Vahl.); Verg. E. 7, 27; 9, 34; Hor. C. 1, 1, 35; 2, 20, 3; 4, 6, 44; 4, 9, 28; Tac. Or. 9; Quint. 10, 1, 48; 12, 10, 24; Plin. 14, 4, 6, § 56; cf. Varr. L. L. 7, § 36 Müll.—Fem.: sola tuum vates Lesbia vincit opus, i.e. Sappho, Ov. Tr. 3, 7, 20. —
   B An oracle, i. e. a teacher, master, authority in any art or profession (post-Aug. and rare): Herophilus medicinae vates mirandā arte, Plin. 11, 37, 88, § 219: Q. Scaevola legum clarissimus et certissimus vates, Val. Max. 8, 12, 1.

Latin > French (Gaffiot 2016)

vātēs,⁸ is, m.,
1 devin, prophète : Pl. Mil. 911 ; Lucr. 1, 102 ; Cic. Leg. 2, 20 ; Nat. 1, 55 || f., devineresse, prophétesse : Virg. En. 6, 65 ; 6, 211, etc.
2 poète [inspiré des dieux] : Enn. d. Cic. Br. 76 ; Virg. B. 7, 28 ; Hor. O. 1, 1, 35, etc. ; Tac. D. 9 ; Quint. 10, 1, 48 || f., poétesse : Ov. Tr. 3, 7, 20
3 [fig.] maître dans un art, oracle : Plin. 11, 219 ; Val. Max. 8, 12, 1. gén. pl. ord^t vatum et qqf. vatium.